Main, Meri Patni... Aur Woh!

In the era of escapist cinema, a film about the trials of a common man is like a whiff of fresh air. The movie largely relies on its simplicity which the audience instantly connects with. All the more if the protagonist is an overbearing and possessive husband it adds a different layer into the story.

Rajpal Yadav:: Seriously nobody else could have reprised this role more effectively. In the early years, perhaps the role could be equated to Amol Palekar or Farooq Sheikh. The way he portrays his low self-esteem is indeed commendable.

Rituparna Sengupta:: She carries herself with so much grace and beauty that you develop an instant liking for her. No wonder the husband becomes protective of this beauty. Pity, she couldn't capitalise on the success of this film and move forward in Bollywood.

Kay Kay:: This powerhouse of talent needs no words to describe his performance. Simply, spot on.

Varun Badola and Vinod Nagpal:: Nice to see TV artists on big frame. Performance-wise, quite adequate.

Special mention about the "Guncha" song by Mohit Chauhan. Very soothing, yet soulful lyrics.

Ideally, this movie could be termed as a ode' to Basu Chatterjee's and Hrishikesh Mukherjee's body of work.

Finally, Chandan Arora deserves a pat on his back. Pity, there has been no significant news in terms of his directorial ventures.

I must say if I had seen the cover of this film and saw Rajpal Yadav and Ritupama Sengupta as the leading cast, I would have avoided the movie altogether. Luckily I was really bored and this film was showing on Star Gold, there was nothing else on so I thought I'll give it a go.

I was pleasantly surprised, from the first moment when Nasiruddin Shah was doing the commentary, I couldn't look away.

Although, Rajpal Yadav deosn't have the qualities of our megastars in terms of looks, dancing ability and fighting, he was the perfect guy for this role. His performance was great, his facial expression reflected his feelings perfectly.

His opposite, Ritupama Sengupta, also provided a great performance. The realism was great and I'm sure like myself audiences will be able to relate to some aspects of the story.

The best thing about it was I genuinely connected with the characters and was wishing Rajpal to do the right thing.

You will not be disappointed. Watch it.

The story is based on a very simple premise. The director has done a good job at slowly unfolding the emotional mire that the lead character (played by Rajpal Yadav) goes through. At the outset, it is about the inferior feeling experienced by Rajpal Yadav due to his short stature, however, it can be just as applicable to many of us, just height getting replaced by something else we are too conscious about. Rajpal Yadav has delivered a great performance. Rest of the cast has done a fine job. The later part of the second half could be improved. Overall, well made and thought provoking, not for someone looking for the typical masala movie.

This film brings in a breath of fresh air amongst the sleazy, slick films churned out of the Bollywood factories. If you had enough of big films with foreign locations, super star cast and dud stories, this film is refreshing. It reminds you of the modest budget films of the 70s featuring middle-class characters like those portrayed by the likes of Amol Palekar. Rajpal Yadav is superb and holds the film with his earnest acting. Rituparna Sengupta compliments him with an confident performance. Jehangir Chowdhary's cinematography of the every day life in the city of Lucknow is colorful and vivid. Although the film has a thin plot, it is watchable just for Rajpal Yadav's portrayal of a Librarian who has severe inferiority complex about his short stature and the misunderstandings that dwell in his mind as a figment of his own imagination. The film becomes too predictable with the usual clichés of misunderstanding inserted at suitable points. It moves at a snail's pace and requires some more content with sharper editing. Kay Kay Menon is definitely wasted, but does his job well. Nevertheless, I would recommended viewing this movie as it leaves behind to you the sincerity poured in this presentation by the director Chandan Arora and his cast.

That's not exactly what 'Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh' is asking but it's more or less what a young insecure librarian, Mithilesh Shukla ruminates. 'Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh' is a charming little movie. What really appealed to me about it is the way the comedy and drama have been intertwined and yet it manages to remain real, simple and down to earth without being over the top or sugarcoated. It really indicates how many young men with low self esteem (especially those insecure about their physical features) perceive themselves and people in their surroundings.

Rajpal Yadav fits Mithilesh Shukla like a glove. He delivers a very sincere performance. We see the film from his point of view. But, as a result of this the two other main characters suffer (because we don't know much about them). I would have liked to see more of Akash and Veena. The luminous Rituparna Sengupta is a complete delight to watch and she obviously chose a good film as a comeback to Hindi cinema. Kay Kay Menon is excellent as always, even in his brief role.

The songs are relegated to the background and flow well with the screenplay. Lucknow is filmed beautifully. Thanks to Chandan Arora and Ashok Khanna for telling us this story in a simple (but not boring), sweet (but not sugary) and real (but not documentary) way. A must watch especially for those looking for something a fun and a little deep but not overwhelming.